[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 3641-3642]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                     HONORING WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH

  (Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Every March we commemorate National Women's History 
Month, a time in which we highlight the many contributions of women who 
have shaped our great Nation. While we celebrate the tremendous 
achievements of pioneers who have paved the way, it is important to 
remember the young girls who need an encouraging environment so that 
they can grow up to become strong women of character. Education is key 
to make this happen.
  Education is not simply a means to an end but, rather, a vital tool 
that can help overcome poverty, ignorance, and so much more. However, 
one in four girls in America does not finish high school, and the 
dropout rate is even higher for Hispanic teens. Nearly four in ten 
Hispanic girls will drop out of high school this year. This is 
alarming.
  Mr. Speaker, let's stop this high school dropout rate for all teen 
girls, and I ask that we renew our commitment to put literacy on our 
national agenda. Literacy is paramount in the struggle for self-
empowerment and education.

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